


The Usual

by Nutbrain



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: But they're cute and I'm weak, M/M, the coffee shop au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 07:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18615973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nutbrain/pseuds/Nutbrain
Summary: Coffee Shop AU in which Bandit is just trying to do his job but finds a rather interesting distraction.





	The Usual

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ki_ru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ki_ru/gifts).



The door chimed as Dominic was wiping the counter, glaring at the dried syrup that was proving impossible to remove. Eyes flicking up towards the sound, he spotted blond hair and chiseled face plastered with a crooked grin that Dominic would love to smack off. Gritting his teeth as his frown deepened, Dom made his way to the register, elbowing Chelsea out of the way as she attempted to start flirting with the police officer who’d just walked in.

“Donuts again today, Officer Kotz?” Dominic asked, painfully fake grin and falsely cheerful voice painful to his own ears. Across from him, Elias Kotz tried to maintain a straight face as he took in the new aprons they’d been given; their hearts and upbeat sayings clashed heavily with Dom’s usual aesthetic. His coworkers had poked fun, but he’d refused to buy two given how horrendous this one was.

“Ahh, no. I’d better pass. Can I get a large latte, extra shot?” Dom reached for the hot cup and started writing the order across the outside. “Wait, can I get that iced instead?” Dominic’s face dropped into a flat affect as he stared and blinked. Elias at least had the decency to look sheepish as Dom reached for another cup to write the new order on, maintaining eye contact as much as possible.

“Will that be all?” Dominic asked, voice deadpan as Chelsea attempted to kill him with her gaze alone. Elias nodded quickly and moved as far away from Dom as he could, and Chelsea began apologizing on Dom’s behalf as soon as Elias moved to near the waiting area. Dominic rolled his eyes. Currently, his only job was not to get himself fired, which was shaping up to be harder than he thought. Unfortunately, there was no way Elias was about to complain. Though if he did, Dom would openly invite the opportunity not to be forced to be here anymore.

Dominic entertained himself with wiping the dust off the register while only half listening to Chelsea’s attempts at flirting and wondered if he should just fake his death and change states. His skills were transferable and it’d be less of a headache than dealing with his current coworkers. Likely sensing she wasn’t wanted, Janet materialized from the back, hoping to swoop in on Elias should Chelsea fail. Dominic smirked as the other man attempted to extricate himself from the conversation, far too nice to simply excuse himself, and he glanced over at Dom for help.

Served him right. When Dom was offered the opportunity for an undercover job, he never expected this. Take down one of the biggest drug smuggling rings in the city, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Dominic had jumped at the opportunity to get out from behind a desk. When he became a detective, he expected it to be much more exciting than sitting around and filing reports with his partner, one Elias “Blitz” Kotz, who was still stuck flirting with the baristas next to him. He enjoyed working with the man immensely, but his current situation was the highlight of his day so far, watching him act so awkwardly as the two women fawned over him. It looked like they’d now made him an extra drink for the squad car to “make up for their coworker’s sour attitude.” Dominic barely resisted the urge to flip them all off.

The door chimed, distracting Dominic from his half-hearted cleaning job to look up. Pushing through the door was a mountain of a man, dressed fashionably in dark slacks, button down shirt, and long dress coat, messenger back slung across his shoulders. His eyes scanned the coffee shop, quickly meeting Dominic’s and smiling brightly, which complementing his already handsome features. If Dom had any less self-control, he’d be a small puddle on the floor. Turns out he had a new highlight to his day.  
“Good morning Gilles! The usual?” Dominic asked cheerfully, smile reaching his eyes for once. That caught Elias’ attention, as he glanced over with a knowing grin. Dominic ignored him.

“If you would. I like your new apron. It looks nice on you.” Dominic laughed, holding his tongue while he rung up the black coffee with his employee discount. Gilles Toures had been coming into the shop since before Dominic had started, but they’d quickly hit it off. Dominic had been here a month, and most of what he’d learned was information about the man across from him (which Elias kept reminding his was decidedly not his job, but Dominic couldn’t care less). Dominic was intrigued with the other man, who was the sort of man to work from home at a coffee shop, claiming the soft lighting, muted browns, and soft sounds made it easier to focus. Some checking into his background (which was rendered entirely unnecessary as Gilles happily told him when he finally asked) revealed that he was a book editor at one of the more prestigious companies in the city. Gilles of course downplayed his accomplishments, incredibly humble in everything he does.

Gilles hovered around the cash register as Dominic poured his coffee. He smiled warmly and nodded to Elias before making his way to his usual seat up against the windows. Dom could feel eyes on him and looked over to find Elias still smirking at him, ignoring the conversation that was happening in front of him.

“Officer Kotz, was there something else I can help you with? Or are my tax dollars paying for you to stand there?” Two sets of eyes turned to glare at him. Elias did his best not to look relieved as he grabbed his coffees and made a quick retreat.

“Really Derrick? Just because you’ve been at odds with the law doesn’t mean the rest of us are.” Dom rolled his eyes. It’d been Monika’s idea to use prior convictions (illegal possession and selling of marijuana) as a cover story for why he was here. The leads they’d gotten pointed to the coffee shop hiring minor offenders as baristas only to have them wind up as street dealers of much more hardcore drugs months later. So far, aside from being a front for several backroom activities, no one had approached him about doing anything darker than cleaning the men’s restroom (and to be honest, Dominic would rather take the drug peddling). 

At least when the people involved in shadier deals would order coffee, they always left a nice tip. Unlike Elias.

 

Dominic was still scrubbing the syrup off the counter hours after the sun had long gone down and Gilles finally got up to leave, staying almost until closing. Two large men pushed through the door, one in a fuzzy hooded coat and striped pants while the other wore only a striped blue and white t-shirt with jeans. Chelsea peaked out from where she was closing in the back and quickly retreated.

_‘Great. The Russians.’ _Timur and Maxim according to the files he’d pulled on them, though they went by different names professionally. They glanced at GIlles as they pushed past, but paid him little mind. Seeing the concerned look on Gilles’ face, Dom waved him off, wishing him a good night before turning to his new visitors.__

__“How can I help you?” Ice blue eyes appraised him, before settling on his apron and chuckling. Timur said something to Maxim in their mother tongue before they both laughed. Dominic maintained his smile, though the urge to strangle them both with the garment increased. Not that he’d make it that far, he may fight dirty, but Timur alone was twice his weight._ _

__“We’ll take large coffees and whatever scones you still have.” Timur said as Maxim started to examine the décor before chiming in with, “You look like child in apron.” Dom gritted his teeth and gave him a strained smile as Maxim smirked._ _

__Dominic rung them up, careful not to completely turn his back on them while he poured their coffees. While he was busy, they each dropped something into the tip jar, sound echoing in the otherwise quiet shop. Dom clenched his jaw, knowing those coins meant they’d each completed whatever job they’d been assigned. Somewhere in the city some poor beat cop would be filing reports on the dead bodies these two were piling up. But they were neat assassins and it was unlikely the murders would ever be connected to either of them._ _

__Dominic gave them a tight smile as he passed off their order, breathing a sigh of relief only after he’d locked the door behind the two. He worried one of these days his name, his real name, would be added to their list. Chelsea peaked around the corner._ _

__“I’m glad you were upfront and not me. Those two give me the creeps.” She said with a shiver. At least she had good instincts._ _

__

__Gilles looked relieved to see him the next day, which was always nice._ _

__“I’m not going to lie, I half expected to see you with an empty cash register and a black eye.” He laughed. The manager, Tom (definitely mob, usually here when they needed to clear out early for a meeting), gave him side eye. The piqued interest made Dom ansty, so he did his best to play it off._ _

__“Nah, they were just here for coffees. They left a tip, so that’ll be nice to see on the paycheck.” He laughed, relieved as Tom turned his attention back to the clipboard he’d been staring at for the past hour. Dominic rung up one coffee, mildly disappointed that he’d be unable to give Gilles a discount with upper management lurking._ _

__“I’m glad they tipped coming in that late. Oh, and can I get a small latte as well? Nonfat milk with that.” Dominic was taken aback and tried not to show it, changing the total. He passed the latte off with a slightly strained smile after it was done. If Gilles noticed he thankfully didn’t comment on it._ _

__Not ten minutes later, a petite woman stepped in, dressed in a form fitting dress and a loose bun. She radiated confidence as she entered the building and Janet greeted her. She gave Janet a polite smile and scanned to room, finding Gilles who stood up to pull out her chair. Dominic stared at the two as they talked with easy familiarity. He knew he shouldn’t be, but he could feel jealousy growing in the pit of his stomach as he watched the two talk. He probably would have watched the two for their entire visit, but Janet asked that he get the bathrooms cleaned instead of staring like a creep._ _

__Dominic hated working with Janet._ _

__

__The next day when Gilles stepped in, he smiled at Dominic the same way as always. Dom had tried not to dwell on the fact that the man who made his heart rate pick up was probably dating a woman who was top of whatever industry required you be that poised. What could a detective turned barista do to compete with that? They exchanged the usual pleasantries, but Dominic couldn’t resist bringing it up._ _

__“Did you have a nice date yesterday?” He received a confused expression in response before realization grew and the editor laughed._ _

__“You mean Manu? That’s my publisher. We had to discuss work and she wanted to see why I spent so much time here.” Relief hit Dominic like a truck and he probably covered it up poorly; his poker game was always rubbish when he had a crush._ _

__“Did she enjoy it here?” Gilles nodded, letting him know he’d done a good job on the latte. Out of the corner of his eye, Tom emerged from the back hallway, staring at them both before walking over._ _

__“Derrick, why don’t you go clean some tables? I haven’t spoken with our favorite customer here in a while.” Dominic swallowed thickly, nodding and doing as he was told. Had he somehow slipped and now Tom was trying to figure out how much Gilles knew about him? Dominic ran through his past interactions, nothing notable recently outside of the Russians’ presence. He took his time busing, waiting to take a stack of plates back until they’d finished their conversation and Tom had given him a nod before he retreated into the back again._ _

__Dominic waited a bit before feigning cleaning a new set of tables to wander over to Gilles. He figured that’d be normal employee behavior if Tom asked later._ _

__“What all did Tom have to say?” Dom asked as he finished a few tables. Gilles blinked at his work a few times before glancing up; usually Dominic tried not to bother him if he was working._ _

__“Oh, nothing much. Gave me a free drink card for coming here so frequently. Asked about what I was referring to with the empty cash register. Don’t worry, I explained I was just nervous about people coming in that late. You never know in New York what people are up to.” Dominic nodded at this; it was a nicer neighborhood, but not without its issues. There weren’t any other customers, so Dom kept up their easy conversation forgetting entirely that Gilles was here to work._ _

__Gilles didn’t seem to mind._ _

__

__The next time Gilles walked in and ordered an extra drink, Dominic was horrified at the order. Gilles had pulled up his phone and squinted at it, looking sheepish and apologizing before getting started. The monstrosity that slowly took shape on the side of the cup was one Dominic had hoped to never see. When he finished Dominic was left staring at the cup, contemplating the meaning of life and what kind of person enjoys this type of drink. It took him longer to finish than he would have liked given that he had to recheck the order and puzzle out what five shots half caff meant. Gilles was at a loss as well and opened his wallet to drop a ten in the jar._ _

__“Alright Gilles, one large, five shot half caff, blended mocha with nonfat milk, extra mocha sauce, two pumps strawberry syrup, ten pumps of regular syrup and extra whip on the top of the straw.” Dominic hoped he hadn’t missed anything as he placed the drink on the counter._ _

__“You’re a saint Dominic. Thanks, I know it was a lot of effort.” Dominic waved it off, now incredibly curious as to who was visiting Gilles, as the man took the drink to his usual spot. His answer came after about 30 minutes later (Gilles had ended up making an exasperated phone call) when a young man in tight dark pants and a red and black flannel shirt came bouncing in from the rain. He adjusted his black slouchy beanie and wiped his uggs on the carpet at he searched the establishment. Eyes finally settling on the large man by the window, Rook gave Dominic a cheerful look as he made a beeline for Gilles._ _

__“I got lost in work! Ooh, coffee. It looks good, but it looks like the whipped cream on the straw has melted.” Gilles nodded, pointing out that the young man was late. Dominic watched as the newcomer pouted, Gilles finally getting up to take the drink bank to the counter._ _

__“Difficult client?” Dominic asked as he put a dollop of cream on the straw._ _

__“Diva author, Julien Nizan. Brilliant, my favorite to work with, but still a whirlwind disaster sometimes. I owe you dinner sometime for putting up with this” He laughed, thanking Dom for the help as Dom tried not to blush brightly at the joke. He watched as the Gilles set down the drink as the young man gestured wildly, energy only increasing as he consumed his nightmare fuel._ _

__Julien reordered his drink twice while he was there._ _

__Dominic had now won Employee of the Month three months in a row. Dominic suspected it was largely from Gilles filling out comment cards after nearly every visit, but he wasn’t about to complain if it meant upsetting Janet. The activity he’d noticed from the gang had been minimal, occasional early closing for meetings sprinkled throughout. The only reason he was still here was the increasing frequency of appearances from the Russians. Timur and Maxim were the usual late-night appearances, their visits correlating with a body found with a clean head shot or a slit throat within the next day or so. Always members of rival gangs, always clean of evidence._ _

__Dropping off coins wasn’t enough to bring anyone in for questioning, but Dom hoped that they’d slip up with how frequently they’d been performing hits. Elias had to stop visiting as much, Monika worried that he might draw attention to Dominic. The last thing he need was to come home to a Russian assassin sitting on his couch. He highly doubted he’d be there for coffee._ _

__Bandit was spacing out and startled violently when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Gilles looked sheepish. How someone so big could move so quietly, Bandit would never know._ _

__“Okay this is an odd question so bear with me.” Bandit looked at him with trepidation. What constitutes as a weird question for Gilles? “Do you think centaurs crawl like insects?” Bandit blinked at him._ _

__“Do what?” He had to have misheard. There’s no way-_ _

__“Crawl like insects? Julien seems to think that because they have six appendages, they’d…crawl. Like insects do. You know what, now that I say it out loud, I think I have my answer.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and started to walk away._ _

__“Are they insect sized centaurs or are they like…horse sized?” Gilles squinted at the manuscript on the tablet he was holding._ _

__“Uhhh, pigmy horse sized. But they wear cute boots apparently?” Bandit tried to imagine a miniature centaur crawling across the ground like some sort of giant cockroach dressed in uggs and shivered._ _

__“Was - no offence to him - but was he a bit high when he came up with this?” Not that Dominic was about to report him, but was honestly curious about how this made an appearance. Gilles laughed._ _

__“No, he better not be. My boss will have both our heads. She runs a tight ship. He tends to get a bit wild with his ideas when he’s running on a few hours of sleep.” Gilles thanked him and went back to his table. Tom was hanging out around the register again, now looking very interested in Gilles. Dominic shivered, hoping that if he had any issues, the blowback didn’t affect Gilles._ _

__Three and a half months in and Dominic finally got something out of this job. He’d been over clearing Gilles’ plate when he heard some of the backroom regulars discussing plans to move merchandise. Dominic hung back and struck up a conversation with the editor, asking him what he was working on now and paying him no mind as he listened to the two thugs converse. To any of the patrons, their merchandise was just that, so they felt free to talk about the details. The shipment was small and would have just a few people there, making it perfect for a bust. Plus, it was doubtful any of this could be traced back to Derrick the barista. He was simply entertaining a customer while it was discussed._ _

__Dominic found out very shortly that it wasn’t Derrick he should have been worried about._ _

__

__The bust went smoothly, five men being taken down and the small shipment confiscated. Dom had been worried that it was some sort of setup, but everything had gone surprisingly well. Elias stopped in to congratulate him on “employee of the month” and order his extra shot latte (this time hot after Dominic had grabbed a cup for iced coffee). Dominic carefully kept further interaction to a minimum as Tom had materialized from the back, casting suspicious glances at the police officer. It wasn’t hard since Chelsea was on and happily talked his ear off as usual. They were still talking when Gilles came in, face red from the cold and looking excited._ _

__“Good morning Derrick! I have excellent news. Julien’s latest book’s is being printed and the reviews are looking excellent.” Gilles smile was bright and Dominic could help but grin with him._ _

__“That’s great! I’m happy to hear it.” Dominic said, looking down as Gilles passed him a small card with business information._ _

__“Wait, Julien Nizan, author of the Rook in the Tower series?” Elias gasped as Gilles looked mildly surprised. “That’s my favorite book series! I’ve reread them all eight times.”_ _

__Uh oh, Elias was gushing now and Gilles looked more than happy to entertain him. As the morning rush picked up, Gilles offered to move their conversation over to the tables and Elias happily followed. Dominic quickly pocketed the card as he got to work. The rush was real as he and Chelsea were swamped, Tom refusing to do much more than clear a few tables._ _

__By the time Dominic finally got a break, Gilles and Elias had both left. Dom tugged out the card from his pocket, giving it a look and admiring the series’ namesake bird on a background of various elements. He was glad he flipped it over._ _

___Call me, I owe you dinner :) - Gilles _was written, followed by a neatly printed number, area code and all.__ _ _

____Dominic was a coward and still hadn’t called Gilles. He’d hoped to talk to him yesterday, but the man hadn’t shown up. He needed time to talk to Elias about it, worried that ‘Derrick’ would bring trouble knocking on Gilles door. With two assassins on the prowl across the city, he really didn’t want to risk it. But boy had he fallen hard now that dating was an option, and dinner with Gilles was something he’d been thinking about for a while (among other things)._ _ _ _

____When Gilles had come in today, it’d been far too busy to have a decent conversation, Dominic had seen him come in, but Janet had insisted on ringing up drinks rather than making them, leaving Dom to make eye contact will Gilles and roll his eyes as he hurried around. The big man relaxed at that, waving as he headed to his seat. It was cold and windy outside, leaving the shop bustling until closing and giving Dom no time to talk to Gilles, who waved before he stepped out into the night._ _ _ _

____Dominic was nearly to the subway when he realized he’d forgotten his stupid cheerful apron at the shop. It needed washed after Janet created a powdered sugar explosion from the pastry display box (why did she think blowing the extra sugar would be a good way to clean it up?) and Dom had still refused to purchase an extra._ _ _ _

____Sighing and cursing himself, he turned around and walked back towards the coffee shop. He had the key to the back door into the staff cubbies and there wasn’t a meeting that he knew about tonight, so he should be safe there. The snow made the walk miserable, flurries swirling around him as he trudged back, kicking himself for being so distracted as to forget it. He missed the car he and Elias used._ _ _ _

____Thirty minutes later and Bandit was back at the cursed place, shuffling down the alley to the side door. He fumbled with his keys and managed to squeeze through the door, shutting it softly behind him. As he moved to turn towards the staff area, Dominic heard voices from the other end of corridor._ _ _ _

____“Just tell us who you work for. Cops? FBI? DEA?” It sounded like one of the Russians. Bandit froze. If they caught him here, they were unlikely to let him live. The question is, what poor idiot did they have? Bandit put his phone on do not disturb and sent a quick message to Elias, praying it wasn’t him down the hall._ _ _ _

____“I told you, I’m an editor. I have any idea what you’re talking about.” Oh. Oh no. That was Gilles’ voice. Bandit realized quickly why Tom was so interested in their conversations, why those two had been discussing plans next to Gilles. He’d thought that Gilles, constant customer and workaholic had been the snitch. He sends another message to Elias, letting him know who it is and where he’s at before moving forward to peek through the door._ _ _ _

____He snuck forward as quietly as possible, peering around the frame and trying to stay out of sight. Within, Maxim is seated on a stool, toying lazily with a knife that he flips through his fingers. Gilles is tied to a chair, thankfully looking mostly unharmed, though his clothes were a bit disheveled. The man appeared more upset than anything else, hiding the panic that subtly seeped into his voice._ _ _ _

____Dominic bit his lip, retreating slightly to check the messages from Elias, who said he’d called in back up and to wait. It was a sound plan, but there’s no way Maxim would wait long enough to confront them and Gilles would be a witness he’d be unwilling to accept. The only problem was that he had no idea where Timur was. It’s possible that it was just Maxim, but he didn’t trust it. Dominic snuck back to the staff room, grabbing one of the large thermos’ that Janet kept her soup in, before checking the hallway and walking back.  
Maxim was still occupied with Gilles, knife dancing in front of his face now as he questioned the poor editor. Focused as both of them were, neither heard Dominic walk up until he’d swung the thermos against Kapkan’s head, sending him sprawling seemingly unconscious. Dominic smacked him again for good measure, grabbing the knife and doing a quick pat down of the assassin, finding a PMM that he quickly pocketed._ _ _ _

____“Derrick? What are you doing here?” Gilles looked so incredibly relieved that Dominic knew he’d chosen correctly as he set about cutting the duct tape that had been used to restrain the larger man._ _ _ _

____“Forgot my stupid apron. We need to go. Was it just him or is the other one around?” Dominic asked as he pulled him to his feet, pulling out the pistol and chambering a bullet._ _ _ _

____“There was the other guy as well. I don’t know where he went.” Dominic nodded, telling Gilles to stay close and keep quiet. Dom stepped out into the hall, clearing both sides and seeing no one. Motioning for Gilles to follow, he held the gun at the ready, checking the alley for hostiles as he stepped out. A slight sound from the hall sent his alarm bells off and he tugged Gilles out after him, unbalancing the man and sending him sprawling into the snow as bullets ricocheted off the metal frame where Gilles’ head had been. One glanced across Dominic’s upper arm as it pinged off the metal, easily cutting through the thin jacket he was wearing. Gilles pulled his feet out of the way so Dom could kick the door closed and looked up at him with wide eyes. Hauling Gilles to his feet as best he could, Dominic put himself between the editor and the door, pushing him forward as he kept an eye and his gun behind them. When it started to open, Dominic fired a round at it, likely causing Timur to recoil as the door halted its movement._ _ _ _

____Sirens wailed down the street, squad cars rolling to a stop as the officers popped out and demanded they put their hands in the air. Gilles looked a bit frantic, following Dominic’s lead in complying immediately._ _ _ _

____“Detective Dominic Brunsmeier, NYPD. There’s a gun in my front pants pocket. We’re being pursued by an armed assailant.” Gilles looked at him like he grew another head as the officer’s approached, finding the gun as promised and quickly cuffing the both of them while they called it in. Elias arrived shortly after, flashing his badge. After a bit of arguing, Dominic and Gilles were released and waited while the SWAT arrived to get organized enough to clear the building. They found a bit of blood on the concrete in the room where Gilles was held, but it appeared that both assassins had fled. An APB was put out for them both, but it was likely they’d be underground already with how long it took them to sweep the building._ _ _ _

____Area cleared (after about eight years in Dominic’s opinion), the EMTs came in to check them out. Gilles was okay’d, Elias was able to ask what happened. Gilles apparently had gone with them relatively easily after they’d ambushed him outside the alley, hoping that they just wanted his wallet. He’d finished with Elias’ initial questions by the time that the EMTs were finishing patching Dom up. The laceration on Dominic’s arm was shallow, stopped mostly by his coat, so they disinfected it and cleared him. Monika was furious when she arrived, having heard he’d acted without backup._ _ _ _

____“Protect and serve, Mon. It’s part of the job.” He said with a lopsided smile. She rolled her eyes, calling Marius (who unsurprisingly still wasn’t out of his apartment) to let him know their fellow detective had made it out okay._ _ _ _

____“Ah, disappointing.” He’d joked, Monika’s volume up enough for Dom to hear. Dom shook his head, suddenly dreading the amount of paperwork this would be, especially with the Russian’s knowing who he was. He imagined it was even more stressful for Gilles though, and sought him out, finding him in the back of a squad car, wrapped in an orange shock blanket._ _ _ _

____Dom tapped on the window before opening the door, asking Gilles how he was doing._ _ _ _

____“I’m doing okay. I’m fine thanks to you, Detective.” Dominic snorted, playing with the edges of his now ruined jacket, wishing he’d taken the stupid blanket as the cold ate through the material._ _ _ _

____“It was my fault they suspected you to begin with. I guess this means you don’t owe me dinner anymore.” Dominic looked everywhere but Gilles’ eyes. Gilles hummed in thought._ _ _ _

____“I think that means I owe you two dinners, at least if you enjoy the first. I need to get to know my hero, Detective Brunsmeier.” Dom smiled in surprise, face going a bit red, which he hoped could be attributed to the biting cold._ _ _ _

____“Dominic’s good. Or Dom, whichever you prefer.” He said, offering his hand. Gilles took it with a smile and a nod._ _ _ _

____“It’s a date then.” He said, Dom’s heart skipping a few beats as he processed._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Gilles made good on both dinners._ _ _ _


End file.
